Detachable floating compartments for aeroplanes



June 30, 1931. 'mo- 1,812,317

DETACHABLE FLOATING COMPARTMENTS FOR AEROPLANES Filed Jan. 2, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 30, 1931. BLERIOT DETACHABLE FLOATING COHPAR'L'MENTS FOR AEROPLANES mm: Jan. 2, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Lwe n60 r.- Lam file rp'a 6-,

L. BLERIOT June 30, 1931.

DETACHABLB FLOATIiIG COMPARTMENTS FOR AEROPLANES lilod Jan. 2, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 30, 1931 PATENT OFFICE LOUIS BLERIOT, OF PARIS, FRANCE DETACHABLE FLOATING COMPARTMENIS FOR AEROPILAIN'ES Application filed January 2, 1930, Serial No. 418,031, and in Belgium January 4, 1929.

' i and can be liberated only by disjunction of the plane.

Another object is to provide means operative to liberate the boat-portion from the airsustaining portions of the plane.

Further objects will appear in the course of the detailed description now to be given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one embodi-' ment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the boat portion of the plane; 4

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic horizontal section through the boat showing the detaching mechanism;

Fig. 4 represents, in section, an enlarged detail of part of the boat structure;

Fig. 5 shows, in perspective, the coacting portions of the rear end of the fuselage and the boat retaining mechanism.-

In constructing amphibians or hydroplanes havin detachable boat compartments, it has been t e practice, heretofore, to provide a recess in the plane structure into which the boat compartment fitted and from which it could be detached by appropriate releasing mechanisms. It has been found, however, that frequently the boat compartment becomes jammed in its recess and can be liberated, if at all, only with difficulty.

In the structure represented in Figs. 1 to 5, the boat compartment, serving as fuselage, is connected to the wing and rudder structures so that the latter may be completely detached therefrom, the boat compartment forming a -central'key unit around which the rest of the plane is built with this form of construction, the wings and tailof the plane are, in case of necessity or accident, simply dropped off and the boat compartment is free to navigate.

Referring to the various figures of the drawings, there is shown a boat compartment a fitted with an independent propelling motor I) and a rudder c,a pair of symmetrical wing units 7, 7 having a pair of motors mounted therein in vertical alignment with a pair of landing wheels g, 9, said wing units having their upper surfaces in horizontal alignment with the top of boat a and being held in rigid relation to the latter by properly designed struts and stays d,an assembly for detaching wings f, f from boat a composed of transverse tubular rods h (Fig. 4:) traversing packings m in the boats walls and provided with threads at opposite ends cut in opposite directions, threaded pins n engaging with tubes k and provided with loops 0, adapted to coact either with pins fixed in wings f, f or with the various stays d supporting the wing units, wheels keyed to tubes In, worms y engaging with wheels w, and shafts m 0: connected by proper power transmitting elements (Fig. 2), which need not be described in detail, to motor b,and a tail structure for the elevating and direction rudders and like mechanisms, supported on rear tubes 70 (Fig. 5) and-consisting of a folding frame 1" articulated at 8 s and engaging over the rear end of the boat, rods t and u maintaining frame 1' in proper spaced relation to transverse rods in and articulating with elements a at points 0, rods t uniting to form part of articulations s and s and rods 9 forming the rear supporting frame for the various rear-end control structures (not shown).

From the foregoing, it will be seen that,

when motor I) is operated to rotate shafts m m worms 3 engaging the wheels to will rotate rods is so as to liberate the latter simultaneously from all of elements n and free wings f, f and the Whole tail structure from boat a. The aeroplane propelling motors mounted in wing units 7 may be controlled by rods h slidably mounted in packings i supported in the walls of the boat, said rods engaging with the squareends of motor control rods 7'. Wires (not shown) controlling the various wing and tail structures servin to modify the elevation, direction and stability of the plane may be drawn through apertures in the boat walls to a central operating post and may be cut or disconnected when it is desired to detach the boat from its airsustaining elements.

Motor 6 may not only serveto propel the boat in the water and to actuate shafts as, m but also to furnish illumination and to compress the air necessary for starting the aero- 10 plane motors What I claim is 1. In an aeroplane,-a pair of wing units,a compartment interposed between said wing units,and interengaging means connected to said wing units and compartment for maintaining the former and the latter in assembled relation, said means including a rotatable tie element ezttending transversely across said compartment between. said wing units and operative to simultaneously liberate said wing units when rotated in a predetermined direction.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1 in combination with means for rotating said tie element.

3. A structure as defined in claim 1 in combination with a tail unit,interengaging means for maintaining said tail unit and compartment in assembled relation,-and 30 means operative to simultaneously rotate said tieelement and actuate said last named interengaging means to liberate the tail unit from the compartment 4. In an aeroplane,a pair of Wing 35 units,a compartment interposed between said wing units,interengaging means for maintaining said wing units and compartment in assembled relation and including a pair of tie elements extending transversely across said compartment at difl'erent levels between said wing units, said tie-elements, when rotated in a predetermined direction operating to liberate said wing units,and a tail unit supported on said tie-elements and provided with means threadedly engaging with the latter, whereby rotating of the tieelements liberates the tail and wingunits. 5. A structure as defined in claim 4 in combination with means for rotating said tie elements.

6. A structure as defined in claim 4 in combination with means for simultaneously rotating both of said tie elements.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

as LOUIS BLERIOT. 

